Friday, August 24, 2012

OEM Online Mexico City. - The Mexican
Navy confirmed that federal police who were shot at a diplomatic vehicle,
wounding two officers from the U.S. Embassy and a member of the Navy. In a
press release, the dependence said that the incident took place when two
embassy officials, accompanied by an element of the Navy, is heading for a
visit to the facilities of the Navy of Mexico on the hill of El Capulin, in the
municipality of Xalatlaco.

Soldiers guard an armored U.S. Embassy SUV after it was fired on by gunmen
and federal police on the highway leading to Cuernavaca, Mexico. Two U.S.
government employees were wounded. The Mexican Navy says there was apparent
confusion about who was in the vehicle, which bears diplomatic plates.

The following post is from Mc Clatchy, written by Tim Johnson. It is a better overview of what happened:

Mexican federal police opened fire Friday on an armored vehicle carrying U.S. government employees, wounding two, in a confusing incident in which it wasn’t clear if the police were trying to help or harm the Americans.

The shooting occurred around 8 a.m. on a wooded stretch of a mountain road and came after the embassy vehicle apparently already had escaped an ambush that had been laid by four other vehicles, according to a joint statement from the Mexican navy and the Public Security Secretariat.

That ambush took place when U.S. personnel and an employee of the Mexican navy were headed to a mountain installation known as El Capulin. The U.S. vehicle, a gray four-door Toyota SUV, had left the main highway and had turned down a dirt road when a vehicle with armed men cut it off.

When the embassy vehicle sought to return to the main highway, the assailants opened fire. Three other vehicles carrying gunmen joined the chase, firing on the embassy vehicle.

The Mexican naval official radioed for help, and Mexican army and federal police units were summoned, the statement said.

Mexican news reports said the embassy vehicle had reached the main two-lane highway heading toward Cuernavaca when federal police opened fire. Photos show that the embassy vehicle had clearly visible diplomatic license plates.

The government statement did not provide an explanation for why the federal police fired on the U.S. vehicle or indicate whether federal police might have confused the embassy vehicle for one carrying the assailants. It said the federal police involved were providing explanations to prosecutors to determine if they had criminal responsibility.

Photographs from the scene showed that gunmen pumped at least 30 rounds into the armored SUV, bringing it to a halt in the middle of the two-lane highway, its tires punctured. The vehicle suffered crash damage to its right front.

Mexican news reports identified the U.S. employees as Stan Dave Boss, 62, and Jess Garner, 49. After the shooting, the two were taken to Cuernavaca’s Inovamed Hospital, arriving at 9:10 a.m.

“They arrived in stable condition. They were conscious,” said Mercedes Alcalde, a social worker at the hospital. She said they were transferred at 11:30 a.m. to a hospital in Mexico City.

U.S. Embassy spokesmen declined to say which federal agency the two work for or to provide details of their mission in Mexico.

“It did not involve the DEA,” said Barbara Carreno, a spokeswoman for the Drug Enforcement Administration.

A Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Tom Crosson, said the ambush was “not an event that we’re tracking,” and that the victims were not U.S. military personnel “as far as I know.”

The Mexican navy did not immediately respond to requests for information on the purpose of the El Capulin installation.

Mexico’s 35,000 or so federal police have an increasing role in the fight against the crime gangs that wrack parts of Mexico, the main conduit for cocaine from South America to the United States.

Better equipped than municipal and state police, the federal police have been afflicted by corruption, underscored by a shootout in the Mexico City airport June 25 when several federal officers shot and killed three co-workers mounting a drug sting, then fled underground.

“You have different pieces of the state working for different crime groups,” said Edgardo Buscaglia, a security expert and senior scholar at Columbia University. “I’m very doubtful that this was just an accident.”

86 comments:

Mistake? I know that area of Cuernavaca is a war zone, between like three different groups, remenants of La Familia, Beltran Leyva, Guerreos Unidos, or was it a DEA thing, like the incident in Matamorros in 1999 with Osiel Cardenas? I don't think any of the groups down there have the strength or arrogance to take on the DEA, more likely mistake, or poor judgement.

I might be cynical in saying this but is this a method or window of opportunity for the United States of America to deploy forces to Mexican territory in an attempt to have higher influence in Mexico after Pena-Nieto already hired a Columbian for security what's the worst that could happen?

In a land where 98% of murders aren't investigated the authorities were investigating a stolen vehicle report. The authorities in this case were probably on the payroll of the gunman. The diplomatic mission may very well have involved a corporation making ungodly amounts of money amongst intolerable suffering.

I highly doubt that they were attacked by actual federales. Cartels have always used cloned official vehicles to carry out attacks. No federal in his right mind would consider firing upon a us embassy vehicle knowing that they had a direct radio connection to nearby mexican marines.

You're a idiot. Mexican-Americans soldiers don't owe Mexico any loyalty. And if anything... They'll be suckered into believing that they are taking out the cartels. Will they sit there and no nothing?... Of course not... They'll be in the sierra doing the sweeps bc their loyalty is to their families and their jobs. Mexico doesn't even like Mexican-Americans... And the Mexican government sure as hell won't be paying their bills bc they can't even control their own cartels or pay their police forces enough money to keep them honest. Don't assume things you have no idea about.

It wasnt Japan that said that it was Admiral Yamamoto of the Japanese Navy and this is what he said right after the attack on pearl harbor. "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." He was right...

i hate to say it but if the USA wants to send soldiers into Mexico there is nothing Mexico can do about it...anybody can say what they want ..but we all know it is the truth ...hope it never happens,

maybe this is a good thing..surely this will make cnn acknowledge the situation in Mexico...and wake Americans to the fact that Mexico exists....who knows....but either way it is one step farther down the road for US Mexico relations

Are you serious? You hope it never happens? For you to say that you must been an American sitting on your couch listening to reports on the tv and surfing the Internet trolling the blogs! Why don't you come live in Mexixo with some of us other Americans and see what it is really like and then see if you still "hope not"!!!! Pendejo!!!!!

Why is it that people who have never been in the military and have no interest in joining it always want to goto war? Is it because its not there ass on the line, so who cares, its not there son or daughter who gets hurt. or should I mention something about war profiteers? And the funny/tragic thing is once the war hits its first speed bump and it gets hard they are the first ones screaming for peace over a war that they instigated.

What do you propose the US does with all of the refugees that will flock to every inch of the US-Mex border? Kill them, keep them back at gun point while a conflict stabs them in the back? If your answer is "hell yeah," or "you cross the border you die, period," then how does that make you any different from the cartel mentalities that have Mexico sunken in blood right now? But hey, as long as you get oil or natural resources, or wipe out any living creature along the border so that you all can feel safe, then who fucking cares, huh?

Think about it, you fucking racist, elitist, imperialist fucks. You are no different than the motherfuckers who are pillaging Mex right now, you just hide behind the cloak of legitamacy that the US gov provides for your erroneous rationale through its long list of national security interests and unilateral actions ( read invasions).

There is missing information ,they were asked to stop and ran away,that's why they were shot at . And before this incident there was already a gun battle between federal forces and criminals nearby. Coincidentally the armored suv appear after going off road and when theybwere asked to stop they didst so soldiers had to.open.fire....There was instructional officers as well as marine seals. Inside the car.... this is sketchy. First question ,why are they allowed to freely roam Mexico as if it wed the us. 2nd they were us "embassy " employes ,yet when asked to stop they didst .3rd they usually move in one.more then 1 truck guarded as they are priority in Mexico .Why wasn't this the case? And 4th why did they appear after the gun battle fleeing ?There is missing info.

Good one lol I just want to hear Obama tell the Mexican cartels kill another u.s citizen in Mexican territory and u will feel the wrath of the USA as a bordertown resident I dont feel safe going in to nuevo Laredo cant visit family go for cheap medecines by groceries for cheap nice restaurants the night life there is now dead wat happen to nuevo Laredo its now the bastion of the zetas amd no one can takem out expendablez are u guys available ???

I am an American and I live in Mexico and would love for them to come over. As for te idiot who says What wld the US do w all the Mexican who wld flee to to the border? Pendejo, there wld not b as many a u seem to think! Most wld stay here in Mexico and wait it out just as they do w the cartels!

Mexico cannot control the gangs, what makes anyone think that the US will be able to when they start doing the same here. We had better believe that they are here in every US city. ....The enemy within ....

Operation CentraSpike...eliminate their radio towers resort them to the good ol'satilite phones then just sit back track and let the drones do their handy work...Mexico will be a safer place once and for all!!!

You dont want to wake a sleeping giant. Especially a superpower. Whoever did this is true idiot. Theres a reason it wasnt a bulletproof vehicle because the governments didnt think there was any cartel that stupid. This is gonna be interesting.

If you are given a direct order in combat while serving under the flag of the United States, the penalty for failure to follow the order is death. Americans of latin american heritage will follow orders or die. Some of you people must be teenagers or uneducated people who never got out much.

Why dosent the US send troops down to Mexico? Oh yeah because they are up to their neck in debt and another "let me stick my nose where it don't belong" war would break the bank even more! And all the idiots on the SEALS bandwagon how about you send their ass to take care of your gangs and mass murdering nut cases, before being nosey with another country againg. Even if they did send the troops down there do you really think they would wipe the cartels gone? They couldnt even do it with the Taliban or Al Qaida, so GET OFF THE US MILITARY NUTS AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!

Whining bitches,"chingatumadre"the US?Here we go with the whining Mexican bullshit again.They see"gringos"everywhere the sad motherfuckers.Im sorry if im going to far,but then again,at least i aint bein racist like Mexicans are.Fuckin funny.Mexico is falling apart,and they whine like losers about the US ?

Us not.falling apart? Really with people shooting theaters ,office building bombing.,Columbinebshootings, officers killing.civilians for no appearen't reason and.there is.video.to back this up. Now we.got folks shooting.out here in 34st tourist area.highly guarded by policy but guess whatbhe did it got away if it wasn't.because a construction worker followed him.n.told.the police "THE WHITE MAN WITH THE SUIT.JUST KILLED A MAN AND WALKED AWAY LIKE NOTHING" that's just to showignorance.murders are.skyrocketing. we fetch.around. 20k dead each year in.the.us. but we turn.a.blind.eye and.call.Mexico savages..really ?

Lol dude on top is right ,after the invasion of Afghanistan coincidentally the opium trafficking increase to 80% of all heroin traffic in the world. And.a recent study showed Afghanistan now is.the biggest marijuana producer. This idiots praising military actions so much not knowing.it causes more harm.then.good. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE DRUG WAR AS A CRIMINAL PROBLEM BUT AS A HEALTH PROBLEM ..LEGALIZE WEED 50% of their income is in.weed. legalize coce to be only prescribe by doctors. Heroin crystal crack those should be hihhly supervised and not openly soldd but should be decriminalize. We are going backwards instead of coward . And all people focus is on who to blame because those people are inferior and it feels good feeling superior calling the shots. Stop the bullshit. Thx to ididots writing laws allowing drugs to be trafficked people like 40 will keep spawning out. People like chaps who were poor as fuck n found. A way to be rich by shedingblood,when he even said If it wasn't because he was poor,and only if Mexico had programs such as the ones in usa welfare ect. People like him would exist.

Is not that you can die in Mexico, you can die in the US as well, with all the crazy people around, at least in Mexico it is associated with drug cartels and all that. Of course there are civil casualties, but the difference is that attacks are not directed toward civilians, like in the US where they are the targets.

Admin i found this video. it's from a armored vehicle builder. he gives a short synopsis about the embassy vehicle that was attacked.http://www.krgv.com/news/armored-vehicle-expert-speaks-about-attack-in-mexico/

Updated: Aug 24, 2012 6:35 PMWESLACO - The armored vehicle where two U.S. Embassy workers were shot today may have been slowed down or stopped by the attackers, an expert said.Jason Forston, with Texas Armoring Corporation, said no armored vehicle is completely bullet-proof."It looks like the attackers had stopped the vehicle or they were using fully automatic weapons. There are a lot of shots in very concentrated areas," he said.Mexican officials today confirmed that federal police fired on the diplomatic vehicle carrying the two U.S. government employees and one Mexican marine. The three were on their way to a military base in the region.Mexican authorities said federal police said they fired on the SUV because they confused it with a vehicle they were pursuing.The attack happened today south of Mexico City, Mexican officials said. Mexican media reported the injured Americans are Jeff Hoods Garner and Stan Dove Boss. The vehicle had 30 bullet holes."When you are in ambush situation you never want to stop, and this vehicle was slowed or stopped to take that much fire," Forston said. "The gunmen knew what they were after. There's no shots on the windshield from the outside ... they were trying to kill whoever was in that front, shotgun seat, there's no doubt in my mind of that."He said the fact that the passengers survived is a testament that the armoring served its purpose."No vehicle is 100 percent bullet-proof ... nothing is. There's always a bigger bullet," Forston said. "It takes so much force and impact before a bullet will go through, (and) that's what happened."He said most armored vehicles are not designed to withstand armor-piercing bullets."If the bullets were steel core munitions, that could be why there was penetration," Forston said.He said armored vehicles going into Mexico may need a higher level of protection.

Im a Mexican-American but i would enlist in the Mexican army before i would even consider join the u.s. Army.Im sure theres dozens maybe hundreds that feel the same way. I have a 10 year old and a 3 year old that already know not to enlist in the u.s. Military ever. The u.s. Can't brainwash me unlike my cousin and others toJoin the army.For what to come out of service after risking my life to work at home depot or dominos pizza like theses idiots or beg for military discounts. I dont think so.

Revolution if us goes too mx cartel support more then there own group al,qeada narcos in columbia and ms13 in south america alot more too it then cartels governmwnt official against armed citizen looj at syria

Come on folks do a little research before posting a comment. I know we can become emotional and write things off the fly, but really.

US homicide rate is 4.2 in 2011 pop 311MMx homicide rate is 17-18 in 2011 pop 112M11 previous yrs us rate has remain same or declined, 5 yrs straight it has declined , in 1991 it was 9.8

Comparatives like the theater shooting is apples in oranges. Comparing one unhinged mass or serial killer is not the same as large groups of organized killers roaming a country..The complexity of the Mex Drugwar tells us it is not a drugwar but many small wars or insurgencies in a apx one third of a nation fighting for the right to control regions and in some cases states (Tamps comes to mind). There are multiple factions fighting multiple groups.Cartel vs CartelCartel vs GangsGangs vs GangsCartels w/gangs vs CitizensCartel vs Mx State (both federal & state governments)Cartels vs Foreign Governments (US, Guate etc)Cartels vs MediaCartels vs business AND we will never know the consequences in numbers, the real numbers, which would raise the 18 considerably. But then Mx may say “but look at Honduras, they have a rate of 82”…… Paz, Chivis

Thank you Chivis for having common sense. Every now and then I end up posting a similar point without the stats. These are not comparable states of affairs and if Mexico doesn't get real about their problem instead of pointing their finger out of pride, they will go down hard. All the back and forth 'my country is better than yours' is reflexive and foolish banter that creates unnecessary division when solidarity is desperately needed. It is almost as if we are creating a perfect climate for the cartels to operate

"after the invasion of Afghanistan coincidentally the opium trafficking increase to 80% of all heroin traffic in the world"Lets see if you know anything,what about now?How is opium production right now,how is the heroin traffic across Europe and world?Who is now the 2nd biggest opium producer on this planet?Take a wild guess.

Most of the heroin on the eastern seaboard comes from Colombia. Afghan heroin is mainly sent to North America goes to Canada. Both sources make a much more potent product than Mexico the third in production of Opium. I am not saying this to be coy, and the stats go back in forth between Mexico and Colombia for who is number two.

"Mexico the third in production of Opium. I am not saying this to be coy, and the stats go back in forth between Mexico and Colombia for who is number two"Ok brother,you win that one.I know when to concede.Mexico has come up hugely in the production of opium,black tar heroin,inferior to the others.Right now,the Afgani opium supply is just getting back to normalcy after it had been decimated by poppy blight.Consequently there is somewhat of a heroin"drought"and adulteration in a lot of countries.

The mexicans knew they were coming. They were waiting for them, verified the diplomatic plates and went after the Americans. Does it matter whether they were DEA, CIA, US military? They didn't sneak into Mexico, they were invited. But the mexican authorities are completely infiltrated by cartel people.

So, the PF knew who they were, when they were coming, where they would be, etc. The US should be getting out of mexico not getting more involved. You can't trust anyone. There is no law and no such thing as loyalty. Never has been. This country that so wanted change when they elected Fox has, in just 16 years, decided they liked the PRI better all along. Go figure.

The real estate lady that shows you some nice homes to lease in Coyoacan is also planning to kidnap you. The hotel desk clerk in Polanco that notices how expensive your room is tells the express kidnappers when you leave the hotel and what you are wearing. The friendly policeman in SLP is the guy that framed the poor schmuck in "Presunto Culpable". They ran him out of DF but his police buddies found him a job in SLP. And so on..

So you are.saying if.Mexican officias decided.to statart sneaking.in weapons,cash.towards the us. Allowtheir officials to be armed and.go around.like nothing...it.would.be ok because after all they were invites..regardless of any scandal in.the recent pass which involves armstrafficking. n.cash laundering. But hey it would be ok because they were invited..am i right..this.seems.to.be your.logical sense. I suggest you rethink it .

I have never seen so many people speculating so wildly. FYI: Stick to the facts and DON'T SPECULATE. You just muddle the waters, create a sea of misinformation and make yourselves look sophomoric in the process. I'll stick with CNN.......

@4:32 AM Can you read English? Can you understand what you read? I know it's hard to comprehend when more than one point is made. You seem to be the only one having trouble with this - it's only 3 paragraphs.